Freedom of religion or just illiterate?

Gov. Jan Brewer is being sued for issuing proclamations in support of an Arizona Day of Prayer.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, alleges that Brewer’s actions were unconstitutional because they violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits Congress from establishing a state religion. The lawsuit seeks an injunction preventing the governor from issuing similar proclamations in the future.

Excuse me?

Brewer‘s actions were unconstitutional because they violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits Congress from establishing a state religion.

For those who don’t know, Arizona’s Governor is not the United States Congress. So there is no way she can be violating the First Amendment, which states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It doesn’t take a constitutional law scholar to be able to read the First Amendment and know who it is restricting. But you do have to be literate.

5 responses to “Freedom of religion or just illiterate?”

Yes, Governors don’t have the power to make law. Only Congress holds that power. (Hence their name as the legislative branch.)

And therefore, I do not see how the governor can be successfully sued, seeing as how, as you point out, she is doing nothing but supporting such a day.

On the other hand, for anyone who supports the constitution, as I do, it is disturbing to see any publicly elected official, let alone one as important as the governor, support something unconstitutional.

She may not be violating the constitution, but she is encouraging the congress to violate the constitution. Can she be sued for it? Don’t know, but I’d guess not. I can understand, though, why citizens might be concerned when the state’s biggest leader puts her agenda over the nation’s laws.